INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
(Reuters) - A stampede at a soccer stadium in Indonesia has killed at least 125 people and injured 180 after police sought to quell violence
agitated supporters of the losing home side who had invaded the pitch after the final whistle in Malang, East Java, on Saturday night, the
officials had put the death toll at 174, but East Java Deputy Governor Emil Dardak said the number of fatalities had subsequently been
in decades.Video footage from local news channels showed fans streaming onto the pitch after Arema FC lost 3-2 to Persebaya Surabaya around
(1500 GMT), followed by scuffles, and what appeared to be clouds of tear gas and unconscious fans being carried out of the venue.Many
victims at the nearby Kanjuruhan hospital suffered from trauma, shortness of breath and a lack of oxygen due to the large number of people
at the scene affected by tear gas, said paramedic Boby Prabowo.The head of another hospital in the area told Metro TV that some victims had
sustained brain injuries and that the fatalities included a 5-year-old.President Joko Widodo said authorities must thoroughly evaluate
the Football Association of Indonesia, PSSI, to suspend all games in the top league BRI Liga 1 until an investigation had been
should be carried or used by stewards or police.East Java police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they were
human rights commission also plans to investigate security at the grounds, including the use of tear gas, its commissioner told
nursed a broken arm at the local Kanjuruhan hospital
that the stadium had been filled beyond its capacity
Some 42,000 tickets had been issued for a stadium designed to hold 38,000 people, he said.INDONESIAN FOOTBALL SCENEFinancial aid would be
given to the injured and the families of victims, East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa told reporters.There have been outbreaks of
trouble at matches in Indonesia before, with strong rivalries between clubs sometimes leading to violence among supporters.Crowds pack
stadiums but the football scene in Indonesia, a country 275 million people, has been blighted by hooliganism, heavy-handed policing and
including considering not allowing spectators in stadiums.Periodic stadium disasters have horrified fans around the world
In 1964, 328 people were killed in a crush when Peru hosted Argentine at the Estadio Nacional.In a 1989 British disaster, 96 Liverpool
supporters were crushed to death when an overcrowded and fenced-in enclosure collapsed at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.Indonesia is
scheduled to host the FIFA under-20 World Cup in May and June next year
friends.Source: Reuters--Agencies
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